HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS —LeBron James is a student of the game, has always been aware of his place in the history of the game and is engaged in the ongoing saga that is his life in basketball.

And yet, when the Miami Heat star plays the way he did Monday night against the Charlotte Bobcats, his actions flow as if he’s in “The Matrix”, free of anything else but his maniacal desire to do whatever it takes to make sure his team wins.

Placing his work in the proper historical context is simple, given how few have done what he’s done and are capable of doing what he can do any night.

LeBron isn’t the first player in NBA history to have a 30-plus point game with eight or more rebounds and assists while also shooting 90 percent or better from the floor, the way he did against the Bobcats. But he is the first to do so since Wilt Chamberlain did it this month in 1967 (Wilt actually pulled it off twice before that, in January of 1967 and February of 1966).

Think about that line for a second … 31 points on 13-for-14 shooting, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals and five turnovers. And his numbers could have been even more ridiculous had he been more aggressive with his own shot instead of playing with his usual court awareness, as he explained to Michael Wallace of ESPN.com‘s Heat Index:

“I’m aware,” James admitted. “But I’m more aware of time and score, team fouls, who has it going, who doesn’t have it going. I’m aware of all of that kind of stuff, too. So with myself, I just let the game flow. I’m not one to — even though I had one of those games tonight — I always look at it afterward and say, ‘Why didn’t I take more shots?’ But that’s just who I am. I had some more looks, but my teammates had better looks. That’s what it’s about.”

That 46-year gap represents more than just several generations of NBA stars and fans, it also signals the gulf between perhaps the two most dominant physical specimens at their respective positions (Shaquille O’Neal was a similar physical freak of nature during his era, though there were more skilled 7-footers around during Shaq’s glory days than what Wilt faced during his).

History will determine LeBron’s place and overall impact, same as it did for Wilt, Bill Russell, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and every other NBA great.

If LeBron hung his kicks up today, he would still belong somewhere in the conversation of the game’s true greats — wouldn’t he?

I argued about that this morning with an old head who was raised on Wilt and has managed to stay plugged into the game the past four decades. He agreed that LeBron, Shaq and Wilt are the most physically imposing players he can remember seeing in the NBA at their respective positions.

“I won’t sit here and tell you I’ve watched as much NBA basketball as the folks who are paid to do so,” my old head said. “But I’ve been watching for a lot longer than you and some of these other loudmouths I see on TV and I’m telling you, [LeBron] is something I’ve never seen before. He’s got the size and all the skills. The athleticism is what’s just off the charts. I’ve been courtside before at games, years ago and here in recent years, and I’ve just never seen anything like him. Magic was the last player I remember seeing move like that and play like that at LeBron’s size. It’s unreal.”

Funny, James describes performances like the one he delivered against the Bobcats as basically routine. Surely, he stopped surprising himself a long time ago.

What LeBron has done in the past few years of his career is round out of his game in ways that even his biggest critics have to admit they weren’t sure he could. His ability to play inside and out, when needed, combined with the raw physical advantages he still has over any foe presents a pretty impossible package to stop.

“I’m an all-around player,” James told the Heat Index. “I can do whatever the game presents. I can make shots from the outside. Of course, I can make shots from the inside. But I don’t let the game determine my game. I go out and figure it out and just play the way I need to play to help our team win. So, I don’t know, I’m very confident in my ability and I just go out and try to make things happen.”

Criticize him all you want, and Naismith knows he has an abundance of haters. But make no mistake that there is one player, and only one player, in the NBA capable of making the sort of “things happen” that LeBron does.

159 Comments

Wilt AVERAGED 50 pts a game and more than 15 rebounds and NEVER fouled out.
MJ AVERAGED 30 pts a game for several seasons.
And MJ wears SIX rings with far less talent around him. (He did have Scottie but also
some slow white guys.)

Become wetting your pants lets see Mr 4 pts in the 4th qtr of NBA Finals actually approach Wilt or MJ before you
Put on his crown. So far Lebron is a great playground player.

i saw a couple of bros up der who said lbj depends only upon his athleticism and kd kobe have EVOLVED lol rofl lmao u kidding right? have u even seen heats recent matches?? hav u noticed how lebron has started to go clutch this season AND combines this with his super athletic to the board. if u wanna hate hate but dont say stupid stuff

(kobeng Burat) You can hate KB all you want but he is a 5x champ and never bailed on his team to get those 5 rings. unlike Ray Ray and LBJ ring chasers. LBJ not overrated but a ring chaser…no respect for that…More respect for a guy like AI who never won but was great, or Dirk for sticking with his team until he got a ring and still there even though they stink today. LBJ as great as he is shouldn’t be compared to MJ Or KB. Ya’ll can say whatever about kb and LAL but i would love to see James win without wade or even bosh…wouldn’t happen!

didn’t kobe start out with 3 all-stars on his team when he won championships? Lebron got further in teh play-offs, and then when he left they went to the worst team in the league. first time in history a team went from the best to the worst! and before gasol came, wasn’t kobe asking to be traded because his team only won 47 games? he was trying to bail on the team! and you shouldn’t compare anyone with Bill Russell if you want ot only compare championshps. and i’d like to see bryant win with another all star on his team…oh wait, he couldn’t! he barely made the play-offs, and lebron went to the finals without another player named to the all-star team. same with MJ, he couldn’t win anything until Pippen came, that was the first year he posted a winning record.

LBJ is a heck of a player, but lets not forget the Heat is a HELL of a team. Even though he is pretty damn good i think his team makes him that much better. Being as good as he is and having other great palyers like DW (beast play maker/scorer like LBJ), Ray Allen(Sharp Shooter), Bosh( Gasol Like), Miller (Sharp Shooter), Lewis, Batier (who is a hell of a defender) makes LBJ who he is today, and makes him that much better. I just hate the fact he bailed on the cavs, they never won a championship but were a very solid team for a good 4-5 years. To me he would have been that much better if he won with them instead of joining one of the best team in the nba and one of the best player till this day in DW. That would be like KD joining KB with the lakers to win championships cause he cant do it with the thunder(so far)

To all kobetards …Please for the love of the GAME… comeback again when your so called SUPERTEAM make their record above .500 , Because right now, kobetards and haters looks really dumb when people comparing kobe and the lakers against today’s HEAT…. LBJ is the greatest player in this ERA…. I’m a DWADE fan…. Hate to admit that DWade is overshadowed by LBJ, But since they are best buddies… Who cares… For the record, DWADE gave way to LBJ because he knew how valuable he (LBJ) was to the MIAMI HEAT… That’s how a great leader(WADE) supposed to do… Share the spotlight… KB24… kobe not only hogging the spotlights,(Dwightmare can’t touch the ball in 1st 30 games) he’s now stealing NASH game…. playmaking… When the lakers are winning He alone takes the credit…. But when they lose fingers are pointing again…. uLOLs!!!

Despite the fact that Lebron is who he is (yeah, I’m a hater), but it still remains that he is the best physical specimen for basketball the game has seen. Maybe not 7+ tall, but he can certainly play all positions on both ends. His ceiling is much higher than Wilt, MJ, Kareem, Magic, Bird and all the greats. I just hope he won’t quit again LOL. respect.

Queen James is my least favorite superstar in the history of the game…and I’ll tell you why! He’s a CRYBABY! Everytime a call doesn’t go his way…his face has all the drama of a really bad soap opera! I actually hate him for this reason…and this reason alone! Oh yeah! Nevermind the fact that he was (and might still be) a steroid user. This was a fact in high school…whether it is now (or not) remains to be seen. Why doesn’t the NBA test for steroids? If he’s not using, then all he needs to do is quit crying to gain my favor…because the kid is talented! He’s not an intelligent human being per se…but he is intelligent on the court! He has improved every single year and is lucky not to have sustained any injuries…yet! I still give the edge to KOBE as the GREATEST player of all time still playing. Queen James and Durantula will get there…just not yet! But, without a doubt, these are the three BEST players in the league…and all three will be in the HOF one day!

Sure his using his advantage he strong he can force his way to the basket but thats maybe the reson why Kobe thinks Melo is harder to defend than James for him, Melo has the first quick step, He can score both side of the floor means that he can do turn around shot and fade away both left and right, he had long range shot, he can hit u with a jump shot even on a defender close to him… .. Yes maybe Lebron is a better scorer than Melo but Nba keep telling this thing Melo is one of the pure scorer In the league today ( Durant is the other one) basically they have so many ways to score a basket … How many times u see Lebron do a jumshot or shoot from long range..

Lets see when Lebron gets a bit older let say 32, lets see if he remain that efficeint in scoring inside and still get a high percentage in FG shooting.. eventually he will take more on long range rather than dunks…

I agree with amitpal on Westbrook trying to get the team from Durant. He’s just arrogantly playing basketball. KD is good but on this note of MVP thing, Bron still is still far at the top. He is all around and he has a very high basketball IQ.

There are a lot of dumb comments from Kobe fans here. I think Dan LeBatard said it best when it comes to LeBron. He can have great performances like this one after another and the haters will come out every time with ridiculous expectations:
LeBron did it against a bad team, it doesn’t matter. When he does it against a good team they say he can’t do it in the playoffs. When he does it in the 1st Round, they say he can’t do it in the 2nd Round. When he does it in the 2nd Round, they say he can’t do it in the 3rd Round. When he does it in the 3rd Round, they say he can’t do it in the Finals. When he does it in the Finals, they say he cant do it in a game 7 or an elimination game and when he does even that, they will say he needed Wade and a Game 7, he couldn’t do it on his own and needed 7 games.

And at the very least, there will always be a Kobetard like the one above my comment, claiming ridiculous stuff:
“Kobe is the only player in the world that can be 2- 24 in an NBA game and still win. He brings a whole other dynamic other than scoring buckets to the game that lebron will never have. It’s called Leadership”

Obviously Lebron is a gun. I like how he continues to refine his game. E.g better 3 point percentage, better field goal percentage even improvement from the free throw line. Then u throw all 1st team defensive player. What a package. I also get the impression he is playing within himself and building for the playoffs.

To all you “STATS” nerds that say Lebron is a “great” offensive player…NO! his good but not great. Lebron shoots 40% 3pt from the field because HE doesn’t have to take difficult shots.All his points are layups and dunks and uncontested Shots..Stop saying its cause of his “SKILLS”. He is the probably the biggest and strongest SF in the league..no duh he’ll put up those stats.But when it comes to skills? Lmao lebron is garbage compared to MJ and kobe..his footwork is not great..his shooting form is so ugly its horrible..he can’t even make FTs.If lebron was smaller he wouldnt be that good.he came to the league as a rookie already big..Look at Dwade..his shooting around 50% now cause all his points are layups and dunks.and he makes open shots when lebron or bosh gets doubled. Just like lebron..but when it comes to playing a halfcourt game versus a great defensive team..lebron n Dwade struggles.So all you bandwagons here stop saying lebron is a great offensive player..because there’s basketball fans out there like me that aren’t that crazy about lebron. don’t get me wrong..lebron is a good all around player..but PLEASE stop saying hes a great offensive player. you people make me laugh..

That last comment is stinky. It’s true about Kobe being 2 of 24 though, that happens often. LOL!!! Another thing stinky, you are the punk and your mama should take away your computer, tuck you in, take your hand off your little member and stick your thumb in your mouth. Night, night.

Sorry dude, Kobe is the only player in the world that can be 2- 24 in an NBA game and still win. He brings a whole other dynamic other than scoring buckets to the game that lebron will never have. It’s called Leadership. Remember when your daddy used to get in that culo and you remembered hey i better do what daddy says. Thats what Kobe brings to the table. You see how Dwight is nuttin up when KObe steps to him. Lebron’s teammates from the CAVS didnt respect him. Especially when the scrub on the team can tap his mama and make him go running. COme on guys. IF it werent for Bosh, Wade, and Broke Back Mountain MIller and i only say that because he had a broke back and still hti 7 threes ( he really should have been the MVP of the finals). Lebron would not have a ring. Lebron gets a hang nail and sits out a game while chewing on his nails on the sideline)

You shouldn’t be allowed to comment on any nba.com article kob3’s a better leader i bet u praticed saying that to yourself for quite some time i mean really i bet kobe would personally exclude u from his fanbase

cmon dude. Are you for real? is this your idea of comparing players?! you better go back to school. your KB24 has way more better teammates compare to bron’s cavs. Let’s see if kobe carry the cavs all the way to the finals if he shoots 2-24. Damn! I just cant believe how stupid people can be espacially when you are a kobe fan that hates bron. Did you see the game when the heat visited the lakers this year? Your kb24 “aka 81 points” did a good job.. LOL

I think it’s somewhat ironic, that you don’t want to acknowledge LeBrons performance because it was against Charlotte and yet you think that Kobes 81 point game against the Raptors was great, even though they couldn’t guard their own shadow in that game.

The Difference is in the team. ya’ll know the heat of today, the lakers then were smush parker, mihm, kwamme brown, kobe, and radmovic…see the diffenrence now? Kobe put the team on his shoulders Lebron rode on his teams shoulders…

it’s funny how even after so many criticisms Lebron has faced, he never paid a heed to what is being said about him. He being compared to legends like Wilt, Jordan, Shaq or Kobe is in itself a “THE” greatest compliment any player can get. Looking at his stats the only thing I see or anyone can see is improvement. All this coming after facing ‘The Decision’, Lebron has proved his point. Every legend has his own era. This era is his.

Let’s be realistic and give each greatness a year on its own. You cannot compare the greatness from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s … to the 2k’s and present.

Lebron is the best ‘ALL-AROUND’ NBA player today period. He is not the explosive scorer but very efficient and every GM, President of a franchise would get him for his/her team investment and take note.. he can contribute and get global market charisma to save the face of the NBA and the shoe industry, commercials, social representation. He is not only a great athlete but he can trigger the new era of social awareness and innovation, and contribute the global sports economy (Nike earns from him and vice-versa, etc…

You can just mention and admire previous greats but today LBJ represents how to be great in this era… and his era…

Why compare a game stat to a season career stats, plus saying his the youngest.. Sure coz. Like Kobe did it before james broke record, they joined Nba straight from highschool do u think he get the 20k if he join the league as jordan did or even wade, even shaq, do u think if they just played at college even 1 year or 2 do u think they can get it done at a young age…? Plus how does Melo been or play in college 1 year and lebron did not but they are just same in age when they enter the league plus they play in high school same year?

Lebron James drives and dunks…. He is just a big fella that people are unable to stop, that doesnt make him a good scorer, Kobe is a good scorer, MJ is a good scored KD as well, when lebron loses that athleticism well see how he fares as a scorer, that being said he is an excellent athlete and the king of the layup

Yeah Lebron took most of his shots from the paint, so what… If I was 260 and 6’8 and ran like a gazelle my would be just bully ball… play to advantage. Are we gonna take away all of Shaq’s points because he couldnt hit a jumper to save his life NO so stfu great team play by Bron great game thats all that needs to be said

Lebron is the best baller in the world right now, going purely on his ability to dominant on both ends of the court. Anyone who knows the slightest about bball knows that Lebron is an exceptional all-nba defender and with the ball in his hands, a facilitator first and shooter second (unless of course, he thinks he has a better shot than his teammates).
Don’t kid yourself that Lebron is not a great scorer. He could have easily had 5 scoring titles if he simply took more shots. Relative to other scoring leaders, he takes less shots but shoots at a higher clip, yet is only a few points less in ppg – for Lebron, scoring is not the first option, rather it’s about making the right play.
Any comment that Lebron has limited range and just relies on his superior athleticism is just naive. Perhaps not when he entered the league, but now he has a great mid-range game and is a threat from 3-point range. His mid-range game is now just as good as KD’s and Melo’s, and these 3 may be better than Kobe to the extent that Kobe will force difficult off-balance shots, whereas the other 3 will wait for better looks. Re relying just on his athleticism, understand the game. In recent years, the best scorers are also great athletes. Jordan had a superior first step and great hops. Hakeem had awesome footwork. Melo has great torque and change of direction. Kobe (especially in his earlier days – he was also dunk champion) and KD are also unbelievably explosive. It’s the combination of the outside game combined with the ability to beat your man that makes you an unstoppable scoring threat. Lebron is just such an amazing physical phenomenon that the less informed will short-sightedly fixate and say that all he relies on is his athleticism.

LBJ can be the person/player you want him to be: a big offensive threat, shooting jumpers from here and then, taking treys, but man, GROW UP. LeBron will not change his way of playing basketball because of your suggestions. All he wants is to help his team to win. He never minds whether he can really be just an awesome shooter from deep, because he KNOWS he can do it. He has proven it. So please let’s enjoy the talent we have seeing from him and do not complain.

LBJ has only “the J” of MJ.
he is shooting 40% (3P%), ok, but he usually take 3 (1.3 on 3.2 ) shoots per game (behind the arch) or when he is alone either when the defender is really far. It’s a false statistic.
Post Scriptum now he is the best player in the nba.

im a big OKC fan, and KD is my boy, but it’s pretty clear to me at least that LBJ is hands down the greatest baller on earth right now, and one of the best i’ll ever see in my lifetime (only a young fella, missed MJ, Pippen, Malone etc)

@marshalltan…one of the most eloquent position statements on the page………@kb24….smh….Did you watch the Olympics????? Did you see the game against Lithuania?? Did you watch game 6 vs the Celtics last year??? Did you see the Lakers vs Thunder series?????? Did you see the Heat vs Thunder Finals???? Boy, you need a better supplier ….People this is what happens when you let your children play on the computer.

Lol. Can you please stop comparing players and telling one player is better than the other. LeBron’s talent is unique and such a dominant force in the NBA. He can do a lot of things that nobody does. His skill and athleticism is remarkable. He never fails to make his teammates better every night. Truly, LBJ is once in a lifetime player

Goodness gracious. Show some respect to the greatest athlete on the planet. Kobe is great too, even though he’s a prick. In all honesty, LeBron is just as good of a jump shooter as Kobe is now. Kobe’s run is over. The King is here to stay.
PS: Shaq won those firth 3 for you Kobe

i hate how ppl say Lebron’s FG is only high because he takes close shots.
1. THat means he can get inside and take good quality shots. How is that a bad thing?
2. He is 40% from 3, whats kobe like 20?
3. OK why dont Centers taake 3’s? oh wait becuase thats not their best thing. just cuz you hit 5/13 3’s doesnt mean ur good. You obviously r gonna take high quality shots, who cares if 3’s arent your forte?

nice article.. maybe some haters appreciate now that what we see from him every game.. history in the making.
Me personally I would love to see LeBron James playing live someday… and I will not miss the opportunity to see one of the all-time great in their prime…

lol im not much of a lebron fan, you can prob consider me a lebron “hater” but i dont really hate him, i just prefer other players
people have to realize that lebron is not a great scorer..
lebron is big, buff, muscular, athletic.. he can get into the paint WHENEVER he wants… he just simply knows how to use his body to score, he doesn’t shoot many contested shots in, thats because hes big and the D respects that, if they play off, he can shoot it cause hes open, if there on him, he drives in cause hes too big to stop, hes not a great scorer, but he KNOWs how to score…
that being said
this article is pretty true, lebron’s talent dont come around much, im a die hard kobe fan so dont say im a lebrick fan
he’s talented with his size.. just like wilt =]

how about his skills? Handles the ball better than KOBE, scores inside and outside, rebounds and does’nt take defense off. Its not size, its skills combined with athleticism and size. Why do you think Adrian peterson is such a stud? Size, skills and athleticism. dont play LBJ cheap like that!!

The true test for LeBron will be when his athleticism goes. When he can’t just blow by people, bully them and jump over John Lucas to score. He definitely has the skills as a playmaker and reads the game as far as where to be on both ends of the floor. That will never leave him. But it will be interesting to see how he plays and what are his go-to moves.

And if he doesn’t lose his athleticism then life is just not fair!

Posted by an old (but not as old as Grant Hill) guy with bad knees and ankles.

Uhh…so he is not a great scorer but he KNOWS how to score !? And he knows how to use his immense physical gifts to score… And he is smart and takes what the D gives him… However, he is NOT a great scorer. Fastest ever to 20k points…but he is not a great scorer. Also also also you just a hater, period.

Hey Nuno, even though the Heat beat the weakest team in the east that’s why LBJ shoot 92% because of it, then why did MJ didnt average a 92% when the bull played against the weakest team in the NBA on his era. Fool. You’re one of the haters too

Great game by Lebron against weakest team in east. Im tired of overhyping everything he does. He is the best player, but he plays w other all stars, which allows him to shoot “smart” shots under the rim. Ask D Wade how it feels. dude’s a “sidekick” now? I wish lebron had stayed in Cleveland. If he won just one there, i would give him his props. But dude has manuevered his way to where he is, (smart), by eliminating the compitition. True

how about he eliminated a bad organization, bad teamates and bad coaches to go to a place where they have a history of winning. Danny Ferry vs. Pat Riley – quicken loans guy vs. Mickey Arison who would you want to play for….

he took the cavs to the finals, left for the heat and then the cavs became the first team to go from the best record in the nba to the worst. LeBron took the cavs as far as they could go so he went to a team that he felt he had a chance of winning with. he listened to all the haters that commented about Lebron being ringless the went out and won one. Love him or hate him, he is the best player in the NBA at the moment and he deserves every bit of hype he gets because he is a LEGEND.

LeBron’s only problem, just like it was for Wilt, that he is too unselfish. LeBron has to show the league who’s the boss around here from time to time and just go completely monster mode to show the incredible things he’s capable of. He has to learn to cope with the hating around him. Every legend has haters. You can’t be loved by everybody.

I dont even care about his stats.
His mentality is so awesome, hes all about winning and teamates. Hes awesome and deserves all the credit in the world for the personal sacrafices hes made to be a winner. truly awesome

yet he is shooting 40% from the 3-pt line, if that is struggling I dont know what is. And even if he wasn’t a good shooter, that still doesn’t stop him from being dominating. Shaq couldn’t shoot free throws, jumpshots, consistently drive it to the bucket, all he could do is post up (granted he had quick and good moves) and dunk to score. Yet he is considered one of the most dominant players to ever play. He was limited, but whatever he could do, nobody could stop it. Same with LeBron, except he can beat players in 100 different ways and nobody can stop him.

KB24, youre comment is BS. youre just trying to find ways to criticize the guy. Im not exactly a fan of Lebron, but he had a great shooting night. You cant brush away what he did because he didnt take a jumpshot. He dominated the game from the inside. The team got the win, and he put up a great stat line. Dwight Howard does not take jumpshots, yet he has never put up a field goal percentage like lebron. Think before you comment.

Michael Jordan in the game 2 of the finals as the following stat line:

15/18 FG
33 pts
7 Reb
13 ast
36 minutes

I think it was a great game for Lebron… but it was against the worst team in the nba.
I would give more credit to those numbers if it was in the playoffs.
It was a very good game but nothing compared to what Jordan did in 91.

You failed to mention that this game was a blowout and the other 4 Bulls starters went 32-46 from the field (72%). It was a great game from Jordan, but he also didn’t have to guard Magic in that game. They had lost game 1 and Jordan wasn’t as effective in guarding Magic as Pippen proved to be the entire rest of the series. Scott and Worthy also got hurt in game 4, they couldn’t even play in game 5. The Bulls went on to win 4 straight and captured their first title.

Lebron usually has to guard the best player on the opposing team (especially going down the stretch) on top of scoring (and playing point and rebounding and…). I think James wouldn’t have to have the same kind of scoring performance in the playoffs to live up to Jordan, but people like you always find ways to diminish what James does.

Defensive schemes may be better now than in ’91 but they were allowed to handcheck back then, not to mention what the Pistons used to do to people. So I’d say MJ’s game against the Lakers in the finals beats this one. And I’ll take 69 points and 18 rebounds against Cleveland over Kobe’s 81 points against Toronto.

I may appear to be just another Jordan lover, but I saw the guy play in his prime. And I mean before baseball, not after Space Jam. I feel sorry that kids today didn’t get to see basketball in the 80’s and 90’s (before the money took over the game). It was great!

I’m sure one day you’ll all go through this with LeBron when the next generation are all being compared to him. Then you’ll know how we feel.

In anticipation of the “league wasn’t as good back then” responses I’ll say this. Yes, there may be a higher percentage of better athletes now, but there was a higher percentage of better players back then. Look at Shaqtin’ a Fool and how many plays are a ridiculous lack of basketball IQ. The 3 second violation while tying a shoe was a good one. Back in the day the blooper real was for missed dunks and things like that.

Nice mention of Oscar Robertson further up too. To have a career average of a triple double in his first 5 seasons is amazing. No other player has averaged a triple double for a season. And just to show that I’m not against players today. If there is one player who was designed to do it… it’s LeBron!

But do u think he can win championship if he stayed in cleaveland.. Even if he create new reord or what so ever if ur Team is in a mix of almost loosing a game still doesnt matter, yes i admitt that he can play the game but if ur not winning enough although they are in 1st in east but only gather 31 wins in 45 games and ur just a head a game or half a game to a team that not healthy and still missing some key player.. Knicks still dont have sheed and camby, and stat and shump just join in the month of january… Pacers still missing granger, Bulls without Rose all this season… Whats the point of making new record for your self….. Just look at spurs they dont create to much for them self thats why they are league best reord so far..

your so stupid…
Lebron’s record is eventually helping the team right… he is not playing just to make record but to win.
He is not taking bad shots or forcing shots instead taking right decisions to help other teammates look good. In this order if he gets a record what’s wrong with that?

What’s wrong with a player deciding his feature… after all who wants to be on the loosing side.
Everybody in this world given a chance to improve their lives/earnings etc have to move on from one place to another or from one job to another will do so. Then why hate Lebron??

Why to play hard when you are on top spot. They are not trying hard and want to stay healthy come playoff time.
In Playoff’s Lebron and heat will show their real strength.

But do u really think he could won his Mvp final if he did not join Wade and bosh.. Just the same question as on kobe if wasn’nt for GAsol do u think Kobe can win his finals Mvp.. I guess not… All im saying is they been so healthy and had a complete roster ever since the season started but they still find it hard to beat teams that they normally beat. Lets say bulls, pacers, knicks, in their match against does team last season does team have a complete line up but they easily beat them.. Just Admit Heat doesnt play enough D to win the game they just wiining games coz. They have enough player to score. But dont u think its more harder to play a game if u just do is offense and not getting any D or rebounding the boards…

When playoff comes lets hope Heat already learn how to win games by playing D. They allow bobcats to score 31 pts in the fourth quarter

overrated and even in this game he had dunks and post-up shots…as always…this helps so much to have a good percentage. When he has to shoot in mid or long range, he struggles. He’s an all around player, not even close to the best offensive treats.

He’s the youngest player to 20k, led the league in scoring and apart from his rookie season he has never been outside the top 4 in total points and ppg in the season. how is he not close to the best offensive treats?

i don’t want to hate, but LeBron bases his offense a lot on his athleticism and playing inside. If not for his athleticism it would be much tougher for him to put up such numbers. Just look at how Kobe, Melo or KD can shoot and you’ll see that if it goes for scoring, LeBron is definitely not at the top skill-wise. Let’s see if he can change his game when he starts losing athleticism, like Kobe did and Wade is currently starting to do, and well, that’s when i think, he’ll silence all the critics of his game. He is great, but do not mix athleticism in with skill, when we’re talking about scoring skillset.

He might be the youngest but michael jordan got it done much faster than lebron.the only reason lebron is the youngest player to do a lot of things is because he came into the league straiggt from high school. I think it should be a matter of whos the fastest not the youngest.

Overrated?? Oh your name speaks for itself..
He had a great shot selection,never forcing the issue and making good ball decisions..
Not like the “other” player who forces jumpers when there’s a better option.

Haters really are always in the conversation but at least show some decency.

When LBJ makes good basketball decisions, he can go 13/14 and net 31, 8 and 8. It’s that decision making ability that is what I respect the most about LBJ. I used to hate lebron for being an unstoppable force of nature, and I would hate the idea that all he had to do to win games was fly to the basket. But watching some of my favorite players, Josh Smith or JR Smith, DMC, or any other fun-to-watch player (Amir Johnson and JaVale McGee also come to mind), I realized that no matter how good these guys are, they lose because they do things that make fans scream in agony. They make bad decisions. In the same manner that Tyson Chandler is incredibly efficient offensively, Chandler is also incredibly limited in what he can do offensively. He dunks. Being able to understand exactly what you can do to help your team win is an unquantifiable quality that combines with LBJs physical gifts is what makes him stand above the crowd. He’s great because of how he uses his skills, not the amount of skills he has.

Do you know that his perimeter shooting % has increased over the years? he is one of the most accurate shooter for his position. Also, there are players that can do what he does, and still settle for a jump shot? Does Lebron has to do the same to prove he still better? no he doesnt, he play for his team, and he help them win by making accurate plays, not by stealing them of a shot.

Hey KB24, that’s why he’s shooting over 55% from the floor, all his shots are at the rim. You’re a jerk. He’s also shooting 40% from three. If you don’t like him say so, don’t hide behind comments like you just made that are patently idiotic.

So you think Lebron’s performance wasn’t great just because he took a lot of shots inside the paint, eh? Well, tell me how many times a player shoots 13 out of 14 from the floor, because if it is so easy, why it has been a unique performance? Wow, the rest of players might be dumb under your point of view for not acomplishing the same as lebron everyday huh?

I find it so so FUNNY how everyone keeps saying that LeBron is not one of the best scorers.

Go look at the last 9 seasons’ stats and LeBron is in the top 3 in scoring in all of them except one. He has one of the highest career scoring averages of all time (NO. 3), only after Jordan and Wilt. Better than KOBE, MELO and DURANT. He has won a scoring title but Melo never did and people always say how much better of a scorer Melo is. LOL based on what?! LeBron has a much better career FG% than Melo too, 48.7% vs 45.6%. The only thing you can say is that Melo is a better shooter, not a better scorer. LeBron is also the youngest to score 20,000 too, did you forget that already?

I don’t like LeBron as a person but his game is undeniable. So go do some maths before saying things like that.

Only reason LeBron career scoring avg is higher than Kobe is because even though Kobe came out of HS too, Kobe’s coach benched him in favor of Eddie Jones and Van Exel. Kobe didnt get the start until Phil came and even then Shaq was clearly the veteran and the go to guy on the team because of his dominance. I dont disagree with you though that LeBron is probably the best scorer of his generation. I think Kobe is a better scorer than LeBron though, and I’m a Kobe guy, but I say as a team player, LBJ is better. He gets his team involved more and is more efficient. One on one though, I’d take Kobe anyday over LeBron…. In their primes if I was building a team I would choose Kobe. Kobe led a Lakers team with Smush Parker, Tierre Brown, Brian Cook, Chirs Mihm, Kwame Brown, Vuaicic, Brian Grant, Lamar Odom, and some other scrubs to a 45-37 record, 7th place in the west, and nearly upset the 2nd seeded Suns in the playoffs. He avg’d 35.1 ppg, put up 81 that yr, and 62 in 3 quarters, not playing the 4th. Lebron’s played with scrubs and couldnt make playoffs.

^LOL!!! Kobe fans are the most irrational NBA fans I’ve spoken to. Just because Kobe is great doesn’t mean LeBron isn’t… and mid-range jumpers are the least efficient shot in basketball. How could your critique of a player be “He’s too good at getting in the paint; he should setlle for bad shots like Kobe more.” please.

No body says he should exit the paint and take mid-range shoots but the matter is what if when he gets older and can’t dominate the paint like now, he’ll be forced to take mi-range and long-ranges, that’s it.

hows that overrated? the best basketball you can play is to get high percentage shots and make them. and thats what he does and does it well, your a fool to think he has to shoot mid range jumpers to make him a great player, hes smart and thats what you want from a player. smh

Making just jump shots isnt the only way to determining someones offensive game. Obviously you dont watch basketball because lebrons offensive game is to make everyone around him better not to make every shot he takes. And why dont you go look up some of lebrons jump shots, he has made some of the most difficult shots I have ever seen. He posts up and dunks because he is tall and strong and is able to size up against most nba players.

What a sight to behold. A few years ago Mj and Kobe fans would have been tearing up this article, and that goes to some of these people too. It took a championship for all of you to hop on the lebron bandwagon for GOAT. Were you guys blind all these years? all those years in cleveland where he tore it up? HOF season after HOF season. He took a team full of D-league players to the finals in 07 by HIMself. He has been the king all along, all of you were finally able to take your shades off and see the truth. (which is not kobe and not MJ). He still has to prove himself to reach MJ but Lebron James is one of the best players to EVER play this game (Top 5). And this has been true since he entered the league.
And the knock on his athletic abilities is false. He has worked hard to gain those abilities they dont just come naturally.

athletic abilities? not entirely true. has he worked on his game? yes. but he is still a freak of nature. not many his size can jump as high or move quickly. not many people on this planet can even reach his height. some of the players who lacked eight or athletic ability have compensated by working on other aspects of the game that do not need those attributes. larry bird may be slightly taller than lebron, but he’s also lighter and doesn’t jump as high. but he has rebounded more than lebron. one should expect lebron to grab more boards given his physique. also, lebron’s scoring stats do come easier in miami given that he is not the only target of opposing defenses. this allows him to get to the basket more for those high percentage shots.

When he starts shooting he struggles????
He might not be as skilled as KD in shooting but can u remember game 6 of last year’s ECF?
first half
12 – 14 from the field with TOO MANY ABSOLUTELY DIFFICULT SHOTS,
at that half he was 5 – 9 from the stripe and Jeff V. Gundy said with humor that LBJ should also tries fade-aways in free throw attempts.
I hope he matches his game as he gets older, yes, and I hope he improves his shooting efficiency in 3-pt shooting and jump shots and … because he has the talent.

Remember when MJ averaged 32, 8 and 8 for a whole season in ’89?! He was pretty decent……
Good for Bron, he has really evolved his game and is super efficient now. Provided that the Heat and Thunder have similar records at season’s end, there shouldn’t be any reason that he doesn’t win MVP again. He is statistically better than KD, and his sidekick (Wade) is nowhere near as valuable as KD’s sidekick (Westbrook).
PS Bron hugging that fan who made the half court hook shot was gold!

Wow that’s pretty amazing that Jordan averaged 32.5, 8, and 8 for a whole season. LeBron hasn’t even averaged 8 rebounds in a whole season yet and he’s much bigger and stronger (he might do it this year though).

Between Durant and LeBron, I think the team that finishes with the better record should have their player win MVP because their Efficiency and Pts/Rbs/Asts ratings are almost identical. No one else is even close. They are at another level.

Dwade has much more basketball IQ than Russel, but he is physically weaker than Russel and less athletic due to his injury.
But 2010-2011 DWade is much better than 2012-2013 Russel.
Dwade has been better recently and pretty much like before-injury DWade.

No way Westbrook is better than Dwade! Wade has won chamionship(s) and can still put big points up and make amazing shots, Westbrook is a really good athletic player but he hasent matured yet or fully understand big moment games like the finals last year. He shot to many times in the last 4 games of the finals and last week he was having a temper tantrum about something.

LBJ is quite unique. His physical dominance can be comparared to Wilt and Shaq but statistically, with his high scoring and all-round play he is more in like the Big O and MJ. Anyway, A rare combination and something that has not been in years in both cases. Definitety the best player on the court today.

No way, the game was back in the day then it is today. In today’s league, anyone can put up crazy number any given night. In today’s league, you can’t look at a ref (technical foul), you can’t even touch players (personal foul). Today’s nba is so controlled and has so many rules that players are compressed. They are called for fouls and are fined immediately. In the past, they wouldn’t call fouls everytime a person went to paint, in today’s league, everytime you go to the paint, someone is called for a foul. Kevin Durant had a monster night vs the mavericks (i believe), but he had 20 free thro

R u talking about the same sidekick whos shooting 40% and averages close to 4 turnovers a game . Wade doesnt put up amazing numbers becuz hes given the team to lebron and wade is smart enough to know they cant both be putting up amazing numbers. Westbrook on the other hand is trying to steal the team from Durant. Westbrrok wants to be the man of team and hes young and talented so I dont blame him. As for mvp I think durant is more importanf to his team than lebron. If lebron goes down they have wade that can step same wuth bosh and mario always plays better when lebron isnt there. If durant goes down westbrook isnt going to play any better serge cant get his owm shot and neither can kevin martin that often. So I think durant will win mvp this year especially if okc has a better record.